"When I was in art school, I thought art was something I would learn how to do, and then I would just do it. At a certain point I realized that it wasn't going to work like that. Basically, I would have to start over every day and figure out what art was going to be." ~Bruce Nauman
For my Time-based artist, I chose Bruce Nauman, a contemporary artist who emerged in the 1960's.
To me, this quote from Bruce Nauman absolutely screams what I have been learning about myself as an artist lately! High school was so focused on just meeting assignment requirements and never really thinking over ideas and searching for deeper meanings behind the intentions of the artist or what a piece could convey to the viewer. This quote is perfection. Every day that I walk into the studio I get to make the decision of what I am going to define as art that day and what I want to express through my work. There's so much power in that!
I was instantly attracted to Bruce Nauman's work when I saw the performance video Walking in an Exaggerated Manner. This is probably going to sound a bit weird, but while watching the video I felt sort of, well, physically attracted to him. His manner of walking was so simple and minimalistic, but it had this tone of just complete confidence! He made me instantly think of the actor Sam Rockwell, who played in both Charlie's Angels (2000) and Iron Man 2. Once again, I'm sure this all sounds odd! But in both movies, Sam plays the bad guy, and he has this exaggerated strut that looks so arrogant, but you can't help but watch because he just seems so cool and confident. I just love it! When it comes to Bruce Nauman's body of work, I also really enjoy his I am a Fountain piece and his hand sculptures. His photos of people pulling at their skin and making themselves look almost disfigured also intrigue me. His Animal Pyramid is so beautiful to me as well. For some reason I really love artwork that includes wild animals. I think I enjoy the freedom and power that they convey. Unfortunately, I'm not as fond of most of Bruce Nauman's neon works. They're a bit too blatantly sexual for my taste.
For my piece, I want to recreate his Walking in an Exaggerated Manner video. I really want the sample simplistic vibe that his video has. I will use my garage as the studio with its gray concrete floor and white garage door. I will also prop up a frameless mirror that we have to expose to the viewer what may not be in the camera frame. I will tape off a square on the floor with masking tape. Also, I will probably wear something simple as well, such as black yoga pants and a loose neutral colored shirt. After filming, I'd like to put a black and white filter on the piece. My hope is to capture the same confident, thought out strut that he carries in his piece.
I am beyond thrilled that you are excited about Bruce Nauman's work! I feel that the piece you will recreate is an exploration of what art can or cannot be...and in this way, your recreation will be a great extension of the themes you brought up in your previous performance piece. A few questions to ponder and perhaps discuss in your presentation: What is the meaning and intent of Nauman's original performance? In what ways has the performance been interpreted? How do you interpret the piece? What is the significance of an artist (you) in 2013 recreating and mimicking this work? What did you lean from recreating this work? Why is this piece art?
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